The healing flights

An in-flight physician is taking care of a patient during transfer by the air ambulance. PHOTO: COURTESY

"We wouldn't call it a luxurious air service; rather a fulfillment of a dream of providing service at ease with highest standard of safety and comfort to the people," said Capt. Sikder M. Ahmed, Executive Director and Chief Pilot of Arirang Aviation, a sister concern of Youngone Group. The company runs an air ambulance service in Bangladesh to carry patients to the hospitals in home and abroad.
Youngone Corporation established its corporate flight division in 1999 to meet its own corporate need. Initially, the company started its flight operations with a Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft to operate in domestic and regional routes. Such corporate flights facilitated diversified activities of the company with greater degree of flexibility.
With the increasing demand and necessity vis-à-vis safe operation by the grand Caravan, encouraged the company to induct a brand new Pilatus PC-12 aircraft in 2004. Subsequently, Youngone purchased brand new multi-engine Piaggio P-180 Avanti II aircraft for covering even more long-distant destinations in less and less time.
Today, Youngone has a fleet of five aircraft which are capable of meeting multifarious mission tasks. Having such versatile fleet in its inventory, Youngone planned to launch commercial flight operations by establishing Arirang Aviation Limited.
Capt. Sikder informed that without compromising the highest possible standard, it grew its solid foundation for a long time with highly qualified personnel, the state of the art aircraft and operating facilities before starting commercial operation.
While building up the proficiency in operation, the company thought of extending its service to air ambulance to save the valuable lives of critically ill persons. It is one kind of humanitarian and Corporate Social Service of the company to help the people of the country. These in fact motivated to operate air ambulance.
The company now provides the service to all domestic airports in Bangladesh and abroad like Thailand, Singapore etc.
Capt. Sikder also informed that the cost of the flights is recovered for the service rendered rather than profit. They charge fundamentally on the operating cost; hence the profit is marginal which is used to maintain the quality and safety standard of man and machine with the aim to provide service with highest safety standard.
The future plan of the company is to establish a one-stop service and to expand their horizon in air ambulance service. They already have their own doctors, medical staffs and other medical facilities at the Hangar Complex to stable the patient, if required. They have plan to expand their capabilities in this regard too.